Jared Leto presented Jimmy Fallon with a live snake on the 'Tonight' show on Monday (01.08.16).

Jared Leto

Jared Leto

The 44-year-old actor refused to break character while filming 'Suicide Squad' as The Joker and bombarded his co-stars with gifts including a dead pig, live rat, used condoms and bullets, and took things a step further by terrifying the talk show host while promoting the upcoming movie.

He stepped out on stage clutching a gift-wrapped box and said: "The Joker is a big giver of gifts, and he was thinking of you and wanted to pass on this gift especially for you."

Jimmy apprehensively took the box and said: "I've read about things and I've heard about things, I heard the Joker gave people rats and things before... This is a gift from the Joker? That's very nice."

The presenter struggled to open the box but once he got the lid off he screamed and recoiled.

He said: "It's real! Dude, what is this? He got me a snake!"

As the tiny reptile slowly inched out of the box, Jimmy yelled again and said: "Oh no! Snake, get down! Joker... Snake! Get down. Oh no, no, no, no no..."

He then quickly backed away from his desk as the serpent got free of the box, and urged his guest to rescue it and move it away.

Jared picked up the snake and held it out towards the talk show host, who ran away and implored the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman to "please put it in the box".

Jimmy finally admitted: "Thank you Jared, that's very, very nice [but] I'm afraid of snakes a little bit."

Jared then handed Jimmy a note, supposedly from his alter ego.

The presenter read: "Dear sweet Jimmy, enjoy my snake, it's long and skinny and easy to take."

As Jared put the snake back in the box, Jimmy admitted he was thankful not to have been one of the cast members of the movie on the receiving end of his other gruesome gifts.

He said: "I'm so glad I saw the movie and didn't have to act in it with you."